Christine Porath is an associate professor at the School of Business at Georgetown University.  Christine’s research focuses on leadership, organizational culture, the effects of bad behavior in workplaces, and how organizations can create a more positive environment where people can thrive. She recently released a new book, Mastering Civility: A Manifesto for the Workplace.

How often does someone’s rude or insensitive behavior zap your energy and motivation? Unfortunately it seems that incivility is on the rise in our workplaces.  It can undermine your work performance, and your mental and physical wellbeing. Listen to Christine share strategies on buffering the negative effects of incivility and building more civil organizations.

Connect with Christine Porath:

• ChristinePorath.com

You’ll Learn:

• [01:48] – Christine defines “incivility” and says that it has become more prevalent in workplaces.  
• [04:44] – Christine explains that the number one thing driving incivility is stress and feeling overwhelmed. She also talks about technology’s role in civility.
• [06:20] – Christine describes the cost to employees and workplaces from tolerating incivility.  
• [08:13] – Christine shares some tips on how to handle incivility.  
• [11:04] – Christine talks about why wellbeing is the best antidote to incivility.
• [12:30] – Christine asks, “Who do you want to be?”  She explains why answering this question each day may determine our success.
• [14:36] – The Cycle to Civility is a four step process for organizations to become more civil places.
• [18:34] – Christine talks about where civility can go awry.
• [20:13] – There are simple techniques to improve our civility. Christine shares some of these.
• [23:21] – The Lightning Round with Christine Porath.

Your Resources:

• The Price of Incivility
• What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful – Marshall Goldsmith and Mark Reiter
• Triggers: Creating Behaviors That Last — Becoming the Person You Want to Be – Marshall Goldsmith and Mark Reiter
• Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance – Angela Duckworth
• Resisting Happiness – Matthew Kelly

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for joining me again this week.  If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of this post.  

Also, please leave an honest review for the Making Positive Psychology Work Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them.

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free!

Special thanks to Christine for joining me this week. Until next time, take care!

Ellen Langer is a Harvard psychology professor and the director of the Langer Mindfulness Institute.  She has been described as “The Mother of Mindfulness” and has authored 11 books and more than 200 articles. Her work has influenced two decades of research in positive psychology.  

In this conversation, you will hear Ellen share why mindfulness doesn’t require you to sit in hours of meditation.  She explains the benefits she has found over 40 years of research for the practice of mindfulness in workplaces and what leaders can do practically to be more mindful and how they can help the people they lead to do the same. 

Connect with Ellen Langer:

Websites:

• EllenLanger.com
• LangerMindfulnessInstitute.com

You’ll Learn:

• [01:30] – Ellen explains why “mindfulness” as the process of noticing new things.
• [02:15] – Ellen lists some benefits of mindfulness in workplaces.
• [06:07] – Ellen talks about the practical ways leads can be more mindful.  
• [08:35] – Ellen provides an example of a mindful company that turned a failed product into a successful product.
• [11:58] – Ellen shares how we can approach the same task differently, depending on our perception of that task and the impact this can have on our performance.
• [13:53] – Ellen explains the simple changes we can each make to be more mindful.
• [18:15] – Ellen shares the benefits she’s found of having happier workplaces
• [18:55] – Ellen talks about the impact mindfulness can have on our health.

Your Resources:

• The Art of Noticing – Ellen J Langer
• The Dinner Party: Stories – Joshua Ferris
• Making It Work cheat-sheet

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for joining me again this week.  If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of this post.  

Also, please leave an honest review for the Making Positive Psychology Work Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them.

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free!

Special thanks to Ellen for joining me this week. Until next time, take care!

Roy Baumeister is one of the world’s most prolific and influential psychologists. He has published well over 500 scientific articles and more than 30 books. In 2013, he received the highest award given by the Association for Psychological Science, the William James Fellow Award. He is a professor of Psychology at Florida State University.  

Wish you had more willpower to stick to your resolutions?  Roy’s early studies found that generally self-control works like a muscle – it gets tired when you exercise it, but if you exercise it a lot, it seems to get stronger. Recently he is finding a link between your willpower and your body’s energy system, so when you are feeling tired, hungry, or run down your levels of self-control may be lower. Hear how self-control can help you manage the challenges of life.

Connect with Roy Baumeister:

Website: http://www.roybaumeister.com/

You’ll Learn:

• [01:45] – Roy explains why self-control seems more important and powerful than self-esteem.
• [04:30] – Roy describes his findings on how self-control works.
• [07:01] – Roy comments on a recent study by Carol Dweck where if you believe you have unlimited willpower you will be less likely to deplete it.
• [09:40] – Roy’s current research is finding that when your willpower is depleted you’re more likely to jump to conclusions.
• [14:08] – Roy talks about self-defeating behavior, specifically in situations with short-term gain and long-term loss.
• [17:36] – Roy explains that people with good self-control generally have fewer stresses and problems.
• [19:35] – Roy shares some insights on when and how to make positive changes in your life.
• [20:17] – The Lightning Round with Roy Baumeister

Your Resources:

• Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength – Roy Baumeister and John Tierney
• A Natural History of Human Morality – Michael Tomasello
• Cheap Sex: The Transformation of Men, Marriage, and Monogamy – Mark Regnerus

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for joining me again this week.  If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of this post.  

Also, please leave an honest review for the Making Positive Psychology Work Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them.

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free!

Special thanks to Roy for joining me this week. Until next time, take care!

Garry Davis’ corporate career has included more than a decade in executive HR and OD roles in public and private sectors.  His work in leadership development and applied positive psychology has been recognized through various awards.  

In this conversation, you’ll hear Garry share his award-winning approach to introducing positive leadership into organizations and his tips for embedding these behaviors to create lasting changes.  Garry also shares the surprising truths he learned about organizational cynics and how to manage them through the change process.

Connect with Garry Davis:

Website - thestylewisegroup.com

• [01:47] – Garry shares takeaways from his award-winning work.  He explains the importance of context.  
• [05:13] – Garry explains why a one-size fits all approach may not work when considering smaller teams within an organization.  There can be different cultures with these teams.
• [07:18] – Garry shares his award-winning case study for the introduction of positive leadership into a workplace.
• [09:19] – After the conversation is changed, the behaviors need to be embedded. This takes time and using this company as an example, Garry talks about the time-frame to reach sustainability.
• [13:48] – Garry talks about early adopters and laggers and the impact they can have on implementing these practices.  He draws a parallel to the movie, Toy Story.  
• [18:03] – Garry shares what the strategy should be when it comes to the “terrorists” that don’t immediately buy in.
• [19:56] – Garry shares that there may be companies that are not ready for positive psychology practices.
• [21:10] – The Lightning Round with Garry Davis.

Your Resources:

• The Positive Business Conference
• Employee Engagement in Theory and Practice – Catherine Truss and Kirsten Alfes

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for joining me again this week.  If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of this post.  

Also, please leave an honest review for the Making Positive Psychology Work Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them.

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free!

Special thanks to Garry for joining me this week. Until next time, take care!